


Bunker Baby

by NatalieMarieCee



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Death, Depression, Healing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-12 10:59:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17466278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatalieMarieCee/pseuds/NatalieMarieCee
Summary: How Abby overcame her addiction before the Dark Year and how it lead to a Kabby baby.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Admission

Marcus walks back to his quarters with Abby's hand in his. There is a lot for them to process after the hydro-farm incident. All he knows for sure is that Octavia is going down an even darker path then he ever imagined and he has an overwhelming need to keep Abby as close to him as possible. He's not sure why, but something tells him Abby is on thin ice. Something about the pills Jackson refused to give to her. Something about the way she seemed to be sick before their almost-kiss. Something isn't right and he's not sure he can fix it for her, but he'll be damned if he won't try his best.  
He pulls her into his tiny room and locks the door. He's fairly certain they can be heard in the hall just outside if he speaks too loudly. So, when he starts to speak, it's in an almost-whisper:  
"What's going on, Abby?"  
"What do you mean? You were there. You know what she's doing," Abby matches his low tone.  
"Not with Octavia. That's a problem for later. What's going on with you?"  
"There's nothing going on with me that we didn't already talk about," she lies.  
"No, Abby. The pills. Why wouldn't Jackson give you the pills?"  
"Because he was scared."  
"Scared of what?"  
"Cooper, obviously," she was diverting the conversation and Marcus took notice.  
"No, he wasn't. If he was scared it's because of you."  
"Jackson isn't afraid of me," Abby said defensively.  
"Maybe not, but he's afraid of something and it has to do with your pills. Tell me."  
"Tell you what?"  
"God damn it, Abby!" Marcus said louder than he intended. He ran his hands through his hair. At first, he just felt like something was wrong, but now he knew for sure. She had always been good at hiding things from him, but he thought that time was over. She'd come clean about being sick when he asked her. He figured that was the end of the secrets between them.  
"What? What do you want from me? You want me to tell you I can't stop taking them? Fine! I can't stop!" Abby yelled.  
Marcus quickly covered the space between them and put his hand over her mouth. Abby, as he expected, fought back immediately. She was no match for Marcus, though. Being almost a foot shorter and weighing sixty pounds less meant that if he wanted to do it, he could. But, he had never used his size against her and Abby felt, for the first time, intimidated. She stopped moving and shrank down onto his bed.  
"Do you want someone to hear you? Because if you keep yelling, they will," Marcus whispered to her from his standing position.  
"No, no. No, I don't want to be heard but I also don't want to be pinned down," Abby said in a slightly louder tone than she intended.  
"What the hell is wrong with you? You can't honestly think I would- Abby," he started to say as she stood up. "Abby, I would never do that. You know that."  
"Really? Because you just tried to," she spat the venom in a whisper.  
"You know damn good and well I was trying to keep you quiet. Not hurt you," Marcus was taken aback by her accusation.  
"Yeah? You wanted me to be quiet? I'll be quiet. I'll be silent. Just let me go," Abby tried to push past him, but he grabbed her by the forearms and held her still.  
"You stop this and tell me what's going on right now, or I swear-"  
"You swear what? You're going to turn me in to Octavia? You're going to have me sent into that fighting pit? What?" There was something in Abby's eyes he had never seen before. It looked like anger, but that wasn't how she sounded. She sounded desperate.  
"You're out of your damn mind, Abby," Marcus said. He could hardly look at her. She wasn't his Abby right now.  
"I'm not out of my mind, you moron. I'm in withdrawal. Just let me go and we can go right back to the way things were."  
"The way things were? You mean ignoring me for weeks on end? Having to be locked up with me to even tell me why you're angry?"  
"No! No, Marcus. No, we can go back to the way things were in Polis. We can go back to that, you just have to let me go." The desperation was now soaking into her voice and Marcus was hit with a terrible realization.  
"You were on the pills in Polis. You- you were high. You were- Abby, why?" Now it was Marcus' turn to feel desperation.  
"Because it hurt, Marcus. Everything hurt after the EMP. You have no idea. It still hurts. It didn't stop after the ice bath. That's why I still take them."  
"What do you mean it still hurts?" Marcus hadn't let go of her arms, but he loosened his grip.  
Abby stepped closer and put her forehead on his chest. "I mean, everything still hurts like it happened yesterday. It hurts so bad, Marcus. I just want it to stop. Please."  
"There's nothing we can do to make it stop?"  
"I don't think so," Abby was almost in tears as she said this.  
"But, the pills make it stop?" Marcus let go of her arms and hugged her close.  
"Yes, please. Please let me go. I'll come back, I promise. I promise," Abby wrapped her arms around his middle.  
"No. I can't let you go so you can take the pills. You said you can't stop. That's a problem. You have a problem, Abby. Let me help you fix it," he said into her hair.  
"You have a magical cure for addiction and pain?" Marcus could hear the anger in her voice coming back.  
"No, but I can help. Just give me a chance. I know Jackson and I can come up with something to help you. Something to stop the pain without you having to take the pills. Let us try," he begged.  
"Just let me go," Abby started to pull against Marcus' arms, but he wouldn't let her go.  
"Stay here with me for a while. I've missed you and I want to help you," Marcus let his tears fall into her hair, unashamed.  
"Marcus, I'll come back. I swear I'll come right back. I'll even bring my things if it makes you feel better." She said to him.  
"But, you're going to take the pills if you leave. If you stay here, I can help you to not take them. I can help Abby."  
"You don't know what you're doing, Marcus."  
"Then, I'll ask Jackson for help. You can beat this. You're so strong, Abby. You're the strongest person I know," he said as he planted a kiss in her hair.  
"So strong I became a drug addict because you wouldn't let me kill myself," Abby muttered.  
"We can beat this, Abby. We can beat it together. You're not alone. I'm with you forever. Even if you're not by my side, I'm going to be by yours. I'll pick you up when you're down even if you wouldn't do the same for me," Marcus admitted. "You saved me and now I'm going to save you. You're not going to kill yourself with these pills because you couldn't go outside."  
"Marcus, I told you: I take them because they help with the pain. I'm not taking them because I want to kill myself. And, even if I did still want to kill myself, you would know."  
"Whether you want to or not, you are. You're going to kill yourself with these things. It only took a couple weeks for you to get addicted to them. Who knows what will happen if you don't stop."  
Abby tried to pull away again only to find that Marcus still wasn't going to let her go.  
"Marcus, you're going to have to let go sometime," Abby chuckled.  
"Not if it means you're going to take the pills. I'll hold on to you forever if that's what it takes."  
Abby tried to pull away again. The withdrawal was coming back again. She had snuck a pill before Octavia had given her little speech that ended lives, but that was a few hours ago and she needed another if she had any intention of sleeping tonight. Marcus was going to have to let her go at some point, even if she had him come with her.  
Besides, what was he going to do if she took another one? He didn't have the balls to hold her down and he wasn't going to tell Octavia she'd taken them. He wouldn't make her go into the fighting pits. She wouldn't win anyway. Abby's thoughts bounced around in her head until one shone like a light at the end of the tunnel. The fighting pit.  
Abby knew she couldn't sneak out the door, but she could get herself thrown in the pit if she let slip what she had been doing lately. She started thinking some more: she didn't have to suffer with the pain anymore. Not the physical or emotional. She didn't have to be an addict when she could be dead.  
"Abby?" Marcus pulled her from him to look in her eyes.  
"What?"  
"Are you ok?"  
"Yeah. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"  
"You went quiet on me. What's wrong?"  
"Nothing. I'm fine. Everything is ok. Let's go get my clothes and stuff. I'm tired."  
"You want me to go with you?"  
"There's no other way you're going to let me go, is there?"  
Marcus took hold of Abby's hand and pulled her with him as he walked toward the Skaikru bunk room. Something's wrong, he thought. Abby had only ever gone quiet on him a few times, and it was all after they got to the bunker. It was never a good sign when she shut down. Something was going through her mind that she didn't want him to knowT and he was certain it was something he should know about. She was either planning something or she had started thinking about something she thought she shouldn't tell him.  
Abby got her things together and reached for her hiding spot to grab the pills. Marcus noticed and reached for her. She put her hands up, preventing him from grabbing her and instead pointed to a panel on the wall.  
"Take it off and take the pills out. Get rid of them. I don't want to see them," she started crying. The fleeting thoughts of suicide had passed, but the shame had grown. Initially, when she thought about killing herself, she never felt bad. When the thoughts worked their way out of her head, she started to think about Clarke outside all alone and Marcus right here next to her. That's when she started to feel the shame.  
Wanting to give up because of what she did in Becca's lab made her feel weak compared to the things Clarke and Marcus had done. If they could get past what they'd done, why did she feel so bad after one death? Especially when that death led her to the discovery which created nightblood. The nightblood she was sure had worked on Clarke.  
It had to be Clarke, right? A nightblood outside that knew where they were. It had to be Clarke. It just had to be. And Abby knew Clarke was all alone. She knew Clarke was all by herself because there were no other nightbloods left and she hadn't treated any of the other kids. How could she want to give up when her daughter was outside waiting for her? How could she give up when Marcus was right here with her? How could she be so weak?  
The tears were falling freely as she watched Marcus pocket the pills.  
He walked to her, placing his hands on either side of her face. She couldn't bring herself to put her hands on him, too afraid of reaching for his pocket and taking the pills she knew were ruining her. Instead, she just cried, his forehead on hers.


	2. Three Days

It had been three days since the last time Abby took a pill and she was really feeling it. Marcus and Jackson were doing everything they could to help her, but it didn't make her feel any better. In fact, she had become something of a bitch after about 24 hours. She knew they didn't hold the things she was saying against her, but that didn't make it any better.

Things were coming out of her mouth before she could think them through. Every nasty thing she had ever thought and more were being spat at the only two people she could trust. They were going to such lengths to keep Abby hidden away while she fought through her need to take more pills.

She knew it could be worse. She could have years of this under her belt, but she didn't. Her body could be so dependent on the pills that she was completely nonfunctional.

Not that she was completely functional now. She found herself more than once overcome by the physical pain from withdrawal. At least she wasn't alone, though. She had Marcus with her most of the time, and if he wasn't there, Jackson was. 

To everyone who didn't know what was going on, she appeared as if she had the flu (which was the lie they were telling everyone). It helped to keep people away from her, which was good. She wanted nothing to do with anyone at the moment. Not even Marcus of Jackson, and she made that known even though she wished she had a little more control over the things she had been saying. She understood that they knew she didn't mean it, but that didn't make her feel any better about it.

She had even gone so far as to throw a punch at Marcus. She knew the busted lip was nothing compared to the fact that she had called him a murder beforehand. It was a low blow. One she really wished she could take back, but you can't un-ring a bell.

To their credit, nothing she said or did pushed them away. They never left her alone. If one of them needed a break, they called for the other. Even when it came to Abby going to the restroom, someone was there. She wished for privacy more and more every day. She held on to that feeling because thus far it seemed like the only one that blocked out wanting pills. Even if it was just for a second, she took it as a much-needed break from the pain.

Her headaches had come back along with everything else and there were times when she and Marcus sat in complete silence with the light off. He would let her put her head on his chest and would play with her hair, even after she had punched him. 

At the end of the third night, Marcus and Abby had an overdue heart-to-heart:

"Nothing I do pushes you away. You're so different from the man you were on the Ark and yet there are parts of you that are exactly the same, Marcus," Abby told him quietly.

"What do you mean," he whispered back, knowing she had a headache.

"You make me so mad sometimes, but you'd do anything to make sure I'm ok."

"Am I supposed to let you suffer for something you didn't mean to do?"

"You very well could for what I said. You could because I hit you. You could because I wanted to die and leave you all alone," she said as she turned in his arms to face him. Even in the dark, her hands found their way to his beard immediately.

"You didn't mean any of it. You were sick then and you're sick now. Besides, when you're hurting, I'm hurting," he relaxed under her touch. He wasn't sure he should, but she always had that effect on him. He knew somewhere inside himself that she could be trying to lull him into letting her get her fix, but he wasn't afraid of that. He knew she wanted her pills, but something about this moment was genuine. He let his shoulders relax and leaned his head back on the wall. In the dark, with her hands on his chest, he could have easily fallen asleep if not for the cup of coffee he had right before relieving Jackson of his post.

"I really am sorry. For everything. I- I don't know what got into me."

"It's not what got into you, it's what's coming out of you. You're in withdrawal. You're not in control of yourself like you're used to. Your body is telling you that you need the pills and is making you act out to try to get them," Marcus said, completely at peace with Abby's hands now running through his hair.

"I love you, Marcus," Abby whispered as she put her forehead against his again. She would have tried to kiss him if she wasn't afraid of being pushed away. She wasn't sure why she had that fear, but it was there.

The feeling didn't last long, though, as Marcus leaned forward and closed the space between them, sealing his lips over hers.

They hadn't shared a kiss in over a month. She knew it was because of her and she knew she should feel guilty, but the only thing she felt in that moment was love.

They parted for air and Abby realized how much his touch could do for her, so she kissed him again. And again, and again, and again.

She wanted to take it further, but Marcus stopped her.

"You're not yourself, Abby. I shouldn't have even kissed you," he told her.

"You don't want to kiss me?" She felt rejected.

"Yes, of course, I want to kiss you. I love kissing you, Abby. I just- we can't. Not until you're better, ok?"

"You don't- you won't have sex with me until I'm completely over withdrawal?"

"Yeah. But, as soon as it's over..."

"You know a good orgasm or two has been shown to help with the pain of withdrawal, right?"

"I did know that. It was in the book Jackson gave me to read. But, I also know you're not really yourself at the moment and we're not doing something you might regret later."

"You think I would regret having sex with you?"

"Right now, I think you're regretting a lot of things, and I don't want making love to become one of them. So, by all means, give yourself as many orgasms and you want. But, I'm not going to be the cause of them until you're better. Which should be here in a few days," he smirked at her even though the room was almost completely dark.

"Oh really? You think I'll be all better in a few days?"

"When you stop shaking like a leaf, I'll call it," Marcus whispered against her lips.

"It's pretty bad, huh?" Abby asked when they parted again.

"It's not nearly as bad as it was yesterday. Yesterday you looked like you were having a seizure at one point. I almost called Jackson."

"Was it that bad?"

"Yes. It was terrifying. You were asleep and you just started shaking so bad I thought something was really, really wrong. Then you woke up and-"

"-And I threw up all over you..." Abby finished his sentence, unable to look at him even in the dark.

"I wasn't mad. I'm still not mad. I'm just glad you were ok and not on your back like you were the first time. That was even scarier."

"I threw up while I was on my back?" Abby didn't remember it happening.

"The first night you were here. That's how I knew we needed Jackson's help. I sent him a message with the datapad."

"Oh, god, Marcus. You know Octavia can read those, right?"

"Yes, I know that. Jaha showed her how before..." Marcus took a deep breath. Jaha passing away was still fresh in their minds. "It wouldn't matter anyway. I said you had the flu and were too weak to go to MedBay."

"Smart thinking," Abby said, placing herself against his chest again.

"He helped me clean up and asked when you started showing signs."

"And that's when you told him what was really going on, isn't it?"

"He already knew. He knew you were having problems, Abby. And he was more than willing to do whatever it took to help you get better. He loves you like you're his mother." Marcus had started playing with Abby's hair.

"I know he does. I've had him glued to me since his own mother died. He used to come to Medical on the Ark after his classes just to watch. He was so intent on being the best doctor he could be. I wasn't fully certified yet, so they made me deal with him. Jokes on them, though. I ended up the chief of medical and he is the only other fully trained doctor in the world," Abby spoke fondly of Jackson.

"Yeah, but you're the only fully trained surgeon in the world," Marcus said into her hair.

"True, which is why I need to not have shaky hands. Someone is going to need me to do surgery at some point and I have to be steady to do that," Abby said.

"Only a little while longer and you'll be you again," Marcus said.

"I hope so. I don't want to be this thing anymore." 

"Addiction is a demon, it's not your fault."

"It is my fault. I'm the one who kept taking the pills after the ice bath. I could have said something back then. I could have asked for help," Abby felt the shame building up inside her. Her cheeks felt hot and she buried her face in Marcus's shirt.

"Hey, hey stop," Marcus wrapped his arms tightly around her. "You were already addicted to them by the time the ice bath was done. You didn't know. You thought you were just stopping the pain. You didn't know."

"I think I did know. I think part of me knew and I just felt like I didn't deserve to be happy anymore. Like I didn't deserve to survive and to have you."

"You did deserve to survive. You did what you thought you had to do. You were trying to save everyone. And, for all we know, you did what you went there to do. Clarke could be a nightblood."

"I thought you believed she went to space with the others?"

"That's true. That's what I believe. But, it's not what you believe. And if that was, in fact, Clarke making all that noise up there, then you succeeded and made nightblood. That makes you just as smart as Becca."

"I still did something horrible, Marcus."

"We've all done horrible things to try to keep our people alive, Abby. But, you did something you because you thought you could save the whole world. You took a life to save thousands of people."

"But, then I opened that door and hundreds more died."

"You opened the door so that everyone had a chance to live, Abby. You did the right thing."

"I wouldn't have done it if you had been on this side. I would have let all those people die just to keep you and Clarke safe," Abby whispered through her tears.

Marcus could tell she was crying and pulled her as close as he could. He kissed the top of her head over and over.

"If you had been outside, I would have opened the door for you, too," Marcus told her. "When I got in and you kissed me, I couldn't even think straight. At the time, I didn't know if it was because of the radiation, the nerves, or you. But, now, I think it was you."

"It was the radiation and adrenaline, you dork," Abby laughed as she told him.

"Nope, it was you. I'm sure of it. Trust me, my girlfriend is a doctor," he said, making sure the last sentence was filled with pride.

Abby truly laughed for the first time in months and it was the most beautiful sound Marcus had heard in a long time. She was getting better and he had been part of the reason why. He felt his chest fill with pride.


	3. Sober

Abby has been sober for seven days. Her shakes are gone and the physical pain from withdrawal is, too. She's not fully herself yet, but she is ready to return to work. She makes it through her first full shift without the pills.

Marcus is sure to tell Abby that he is proud of her when she makes it back to his room shortly after he does. The day has been long and stressful for both of them, and they are excited to just have time to spend with each other. Abby is both eager to remind him of his recent promise and ready to curl up in bed beside him and sleep. She chooses the first option.

"You made a deal with me, mister," she tells him, playfully poking his chest.

"Oh did I now?" Marcus pretends not to know what she's talking about.

"Yes, and I intend to make sure you follow through."

"Do you? Well, once Abby Griffin has made up her mind, there's nothing more a man can do, is there?" He takes her hand from his chest and kisses her fingers.

Abby gets ready to say something, always having a response, when Marcus suddenly pulls her to him. He seals his lips over hers while wrapping his arms around her. The words die out before she even knew what she was going to say. He's had that effect on her since before Polis.

Every kiss gets better and better, hands tugging at clothes as tongues explore and battle for dominance. 

When they parted for air, Marcus placed his hands on either side of her face. 

"I'm so proud of you, Abby. You have no idea," he told her.

"Marcus, I-" Abby tried to say, but was interrupted when Marcus covered her lips with his again.

This time the kiss wasn't urgent. He kissed her slowly, enjoying the feeling of Abby's body melting against him. It reminded him of their time together in Polis, of how they could be having a conversation and the atmosphere around them would change without their notice.

It reminded him of a time when Abby was happy to be alive. He felt a pressure building in his belly. This time, it would mean something more than it had ever meant before. He wouldn't just be showing Abby how he felt about her, he would be showing that she was his pride and joy. He was telling how much he needed her, and that she was his reason for living.

He used her moan as a chance to deepen this kiss, gently sliding his tongue into her mouth again. Abby's knees grew weak in the embrace, so she leaned further into Marcus. He responded by wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders.

He wanted to pick her up and carry her to the bed, but he didn't want to stop kissing her long enough to do so. He just wanted to hold her in his arms as long as he could, but his body told him otherwise. It would be the first time in months and he knew he would have to try to not embarrass himself when the time finally came.

He didn't, however, have to move her as he thought he would. Abby ended the kiss and started pushing him backward. He fell to the bed as his calves hit the thin mattress.

Abby climbed on top of him and captured his lips again, knotting her fingers in his hair. He always loved when she did that. It was a turn on, but this time there was something else to it. She was in control and he knew it. All his plans for slow and romantic gone out the window they didn't have as her other hand tugged at the hem of his shirt.

He removed his hands from her hips and pulled his shirt over his head and then went for hers. He unclasped her bra and she pulled it off her body, throwing the unwanted garment off to the side, not caring where it landed. She ended the kiss and stood, removing her pants and panties. Marcus followed her lead as quickly as he dared.

"Sit," she told him in no uncertain terms.

He did and pulled her to him by her hips, placing her down on top of his member. He filled and stretched her to her limits, loving the feeling and the sounds she made. Sounds he would never get tired of hearing.

When she was finally down, taking him in to the hilt, he crushed his lips to hers again, telling her what he couldn't find the words for.

Her hips rocked against him and she ran her hands through his hair again. He leaned back, pulling her with him and she moaned with every movement. He cherished the sounds she made. He wanted to hear her say his name, so he did the one thing he knew would cause them: placed his thumb on the most sensitive part of her body and drew tight circles with it as she moved.

It wasn't long before they were both spent and lie next to each other on the small bed. They kissed lazily, murmuring sweet nothings to each. Though they had spent time apart and Abby had gone through so much, it was as if they hadn't missed a beat and everything was as it should have been.

Marcus had her in his arms, tight against his body, and he knew everything was going to be ok. They fell asleep in their embrace, missing dinner. 

So, when Jackson knocked on their door before lights-out, they weren't surprised. Quickly dressing, Marcus answered the door.

"What's up, Jackson," he said, holding the door tightly to him to hide Abby's partially naked body from the young man's view.

"Neither of you were at dinner, so I thought I would come make sure Abby hasn't-" he paused. "That Abby was ok."

"She's fine. Just a little tired. We didn't mean to miss dinner. We kind of just fell asleep," Marcus told him, redness creeping into his cheeks.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I should have sent you a message with the data pad," Abby said, pulling her shirt over her head as she stood, still hidden by the door.

"It's ok. As long as you're ok, we're all going to be ok," Jackson told her with a smile on his face. He might be young, but he wasn't stupid. He knew what had happened, and while he looked at Abby like she was a parental figure, he had to admit he was happy for her. If her relationship with Marcus had gotten back to this point, then he knew everything was going to be just fine. For the first time in months, he knew they finally had Abby back. The Abby she was before ALIE had dug her claws in.

Jackson happily walked back to his bunk, with Miller by his side. Telling him that he had his faith and hope back. That he thought everything was going to be alright with Abby.


	4. Stitches

After 21 days with no pills, Abby was feeling better than she had in a long time. She still had her headaches and cravings, but it was easier every day to deal with. Especially, with Marcus by her side. It seemed he smiled a little more every day, which only seemed to make Abby smile along with him. Life down in the bunker seemed to brighten a little more every day.

When they were alone together, everything seemed right. All the troubles they had seemed to melt away and they relaxed. They could talk about anything without issue. From Abby's blooming sobriety to Octavia's brutal fighting pits, there was no topic they couldn't discuss. They were working together as they had before Primfya and it gave them both the hope they needed that they would someday see the surface of the Earth again. The hope that they would make a life for themselves out of whatever was up there.

They went through their normal morning routine of showering together, being late to breakfast, and heading to their respective jobs. Abby wasn't quite sure what Marcus's job was anymore, though. He seemed to do a little of everything, and just about anything Octavia asked of him. Mostly, he translated, worked with guard schedules, and played the part of Peace Keeper during meetings with Octavia. In Abby's eyes, he was something of a politician. A very handsome politician.

Abby was a doctor. As simple as that. It sounded boring compared to Marcus's revolving door of responsibilities. But, she loved her job. It was rewarding and gave her a sense of purpose. It, like Marcus, helped her through the bad times.

A patient walks through the doors to MedBay and at first, she is unsure of who it could be just fifteen minutes before they close for the evening. Abby beings laughing when she sees who is it, but quickly stops when she sees how much his chest is bleeding. 

"Marcus, what happened?" Abby's voice was higher than she meant for it to be. She grabs a bandage from the table and quickly makes her way across the room to Marcus and presses it to the left side of his chest. Whatever caused the wound had missed his heart, but not by much. 

Abby, concerned, pulled the bandage away to see that the wound wasn't deep. She was less frantic now and more curious.

"What happened here?" She said, looking at Indra.

"It seems you sky people age a little faster than the rest of us," Indra said, a smirk on her face.

Marcus opened his mouth to say something, but Abby stopped him.

"You were too slow? Since when?"

"I was distracted, is all. Not slow," Marcus answered, a flush finding his cheeks.

"Distracted by what, exactly?" Abby asked.

"You," Indra answered.

"How? I've been here all day," Abby said.

"I didn't know that," said Marcus.

"All I had to do was mention that you may or may not have been behind him and he turned, distracted, and wasn't fast enough to realize it was a ruse," Indra informed her.

"Wow," Abby answered.

"She cheated, Abby. I wasn't slow," Marcus told her. Abby could hear in his voice that his pride was a little hurt by the whole thing.

"I see. Maybe next time you shouldn't practice with sharpened weapons? Like the children," Abby joked, half serious.

"I used the same tactic on you last week and you didn't get hurt," Indra said, much to Marcus's surprise.

Abby continued cleaning up Marcus's chest while he sat there, stunned. He had not been aware that Abby had been training with Indra. Or with anyone for that matter.

"You used it on her?" He asked Indra.

"I did. She turned, same as you, but was faster in realizing it was a trick. I didn't get anywhere near her," Indra told him. "It helps that she uses a staff, though. Longer range, but she also jumped back when she noticed my approach."

Marcus looked down at Abby's face, very close to his own, and he saw her smile. It made him smile, too, to know that Abby was learning how to defend herself. Not just happy, but proud. The pride he felt in her glowed from his face. 

"Is she really that fast?" He asked Indra.

"The little ones always are. Generally, we train them to be spies. They fit in small spaces and sneak through crowds easily. But, we're just helping her keep herself occupied in her free time. We might make a warrior out of her yet. Besides, every healer should know how to protect themselves," Indra said with a pointed look towards Jackson.

"It's not in our culture for healers to also be warriors," Marcus said to Indra. "But, I agree with you. Everyone should know how to defend themselves."

Abby smiled at Marcus again and he got caught up in her eyes. To him, her smile could light up the whole bunker. It had been a while since he'd seen her truly smile because of something he said. He knew she would be sending Jackson to some self-defense classes sooner rather than later. They wouldn't need to send Nylah. She already knew what to do, so Abby wouldn't need the help in MedBay anyway.

Abby placed the bandage back on Marcus's wound and pulled his hand over it to keep the bandage where it was and walked to the med locker. She didn't hesitate when she pulled on the handle like she thought she would, but she was surprised to find it locked.

"You're going to need this," Nylah said, holding up a key. "Guess it's a good thing Jackson had me hold on to it, you know, with you learning to fight and all."

"Or he just didn't want to be the one to tell me you locked me out of it," Abby deadpanned.

"Or that," Nylah answered with a smirk. "What is it you need out of here?"

"Local anesthetic so I can give Marcus stitches," Abby answered, still not believing they would lock her out of the med locker.

"Which one is it?"

"The little bottle to the right," Abby pointed.

Nylah handed her the bottle and locked the locker back up again. She gave Abby a smile and passed the key to Jackson as she walked by. She returned to her work of categorizing herbs.

Abby looked at the bottle in her hand and back at the locker. She looked at Jackson, Marcus, and then Nylah. She fought back the tears in her eyes. They didn't trust her. Even now. And she couldn't blame them. It wasn't just that they didn't trust her, though. It was that she couldn't even blame them.

Abby quickly wiped off her face and walked back over to Marcus, ready to give him the couple of stitches needed.

******

Abby and Marcus had made their way back to the room they now referred to as 'theirs', but Abby had been silent. It wasn't unlike her to get lost in her thoughts after a day at work, but usually Marcus could talk her out of it. This time it was different. Something was wrong and he was willing to bet it had to do with the locked up meds.

"Abby? Earth to Abby? Hey," Marcus tried as he closed the door behind him, mindful of her stitch work on his chest.

"Hey yourself," she said, trying to laugh as more tears pooled in her eyes.

"Abby, I didn't know they did that. I'm sorry," he told her, brushing her hair away from her face.

"I didn't either, not until just now. I hardly ever need anything from that locker and Jackson usually gets it for me. Now, I guess I know why," Abby said through sobs.

"It'll be ok. They'll unlock it for you soon enough. I promise," Marcus told her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Abby said. "Besides, it's probably a good idea to keep it locked. You never know when someone will steal medicine." She knew it was self-deprecating, but it was a good point nonetheless.

"You stole medicine?" Marcus looked more worried than she figured he needed to be.

"Yes, but I covered my tracks. We weren't really keeping track yet anyway. At least, not of those. They're seldom used anyway," Abby said.

"What if someone finds out Abby? You could get sent into the fighting pit," Marcus had gone from worried to terrified.

"No one will find out, Marcus. I promise. I never even entered those pills into the system on the datapad. Octavia will never even know the existed, ok? Stop worrying." Abby's tears had dried up. She was now more focused on getting Marcus to calm down before he gave himself a panic attack and had to be taken back to MedBay.

With a hand on either side of his face, Abby kissed Marcus. It was neither passionate or slow. It was just a kiss. Just something to sidetrack him before he went down a dark spiral of thoughts that would lead him somewhere else.

The kiss ended and he paused, looking into her eyes. They were clear. He knew they would be, but he found himself checking as often as he could. Really, it was just an excuse to look at her, but he told himself he was just making sure she was alright. He didn't tell her that, though. She would see right through his lies. 

"Honestly, Marcus, I want to be angry with them. I really do. It's not their job to make sure I don't misuse things. But, at the same time, I can't really find it in myself to blame them. I'm mad that they're basically in control of what I do now, but I can see where they're coming from," Abby told him.

"Would you be mad if I told them it was my idea?"

"You told them to lock things up because of me?"

"I told them it might be a good idea to take the temptation away from you. And anyone else who might have a similar problem. But, I didn't really hink they would do it."

"It was a good idea," Abby lowered her head into his chest as she said this. She put her arms around his middle, hugging him closely.

"You're not going to stab me anymore, are you?" Marcus chuckled as he pulled her close, starting to feel the sting in his chest as the anesthetic wore off.

"Oh, I wasn't even rough with you," Abby joked.

"You were, too."

"If you're unhappy with the stitches I gave you, we can take them out and try again," Abby offered.

"No, no. These will have to do. My doctor had a long day and needs to get some rest. Who knows what Indra will bring her tomorrow after training," he said into her hair between feather-light kisses.

"You're right. Maybe another old man will need stitches," Abby laughed heartily this time.

"I'm not old! She tricked me! I had no idea we were going to be playing dirty. It wasn't fair," Marcus defended himself.

"If I can dodge her, you should be able to."

"You're much smaller and have better hand-eye coordination than I do."

"But, I'm also near-sighted. I can't see unless I'm close enough."

"Then how did you see her coming?"

"I didn't. My back was to her," Abby said, matter-of-factly.

"I'm confused. You defended yourself, but you couldn't see her coming towards you because you were facing the other way?"

"Yeah," Abby stated.

"Then how did you know to move and strike?"

"I heard her. Plus, I was barefoot. I could feel her running towards me," Abby explained.

"Now, that is something I've never heard before."

"You'd be amazed what the body can do when it's making up for a sense that doesn't work the way it should," Abby told him.

"Was your dad nearsighted, too?" Marcus asked.

"Yep. I still have his glasses in my bag, actually," Abby told him, reaching for her bag. She pulled the glasses out and put them on. They weren't bulky, but they had large frames. She put them on.

"You should wear those more often," Marcus told her.

"Why? I only need them if something is too far away, and usually, my patients are pretty close to me. Would you trust a surgeon who wears glasses?"

"I would trust you with anything, my love," he said before bringing his lips down to hers. He had succeeded in quieting her, but now he had started something that would take him all night to finish. He couldn't be more excited to spend a night getting next to no sleep for the third day in a row.


	5. Unexpected

Day 45

Abby and Marcus went to breakfast together, as they usually did. Of course, they were late and only had a few minutes to eat. That wasn't a problem considering they were at half rations anyway. They were getting used to it, but they weren't happy about it. No one was to be completely honest. But, at least Marcus and Abby knew why. It didn't help them to feel any better about it, though.

They ate quickly, exchanging a few words about their upcoming day and what they were planning. Marcus was going to be in meetings all day and Abby had her usual rounds to do. Mostly, it was going to be a lot of paperwork for both of them. She was happy to have a slow day ahead of her, though.

She might have been past the point of having to deal with the physical symptoms of withdrawal, but she hadn't been feeling well the past few days. Her stomach was upset and her headaches were more frequent than they had been recently. She figured it had something to do with quitting cold turkey. She had talked to Marcus about it and he did everything he could to help.

There was nothing to do however when she stopped at a trash can on their way out and threw up everything she had just eaten. He simply held her hair out of the way and waited. When she was done, he asked her if she was alright.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I must have just eaten too fast."

"You should talk to Jackson and Nylah. Maybe they have something they can give you. You can't go around throwing up all day," he told her.

"Throwing up one time doesn't mean I'll be doing it all-" she couldn't finish her sentence as another wave of nausea overtook her. This time, though, there was nothing to throw up. She dry heaved over the trash can for another minute or two before agreeing to talk to her associates.

Marcus walked with Abby to MedBay, knowing that he was going to be late again. What did he care? It's not like they could fire him from his 'job'. He was in charge of the guards from every clan whether they liked it or not. Octavia wouldn't fire him for being a few minutes late anyway. She would simply make another sly comment about how he couldn't ever seem to pull himself away from Abby on time.

He didn't mind the jokes, really. It was true: he couldn't ever get the amount of time with Abby that he wanted. Besides, this time there were witnesses to his story. Everyone who had been in the cafeteria had seen her sick this morning.

******

Abby walks into MedBay with Marcus by her side. It takes a few minutes and some reassurances from both Jackson and Nylah that they would take care of her while he was gone. When he finally left, Abby and her associates talked about the symptoms she was having and for how long they had been around.

When Abby told them it had been a couple weeks, they clicked their tongues at her, knowing she had hidden it from them. They went over all the possibilities, but nothing seemed to match up until Nylah made a suggestion:

"Could you be pregnant, Abby? It would make sense considering you seem to be getting worse but no one else is," Nylah said.

"No, no way. I'm too old for that. Besides, if I were pregnant, I would know. I knew right away with Clarke," Abby answered.

"If you're actually sick, Marcus would be, too. You know that. Humor me and use your sky medicine to find out," Nylah said.

Jackson was already pulling a pregnancy test from a cabinet as Abby tried to refuse it again. He just handed her the test with pleading eyes.

"Fine, but only to prove you two wrong. There's a less than 5% chance that someone my age could even get pregnant. Everything would have to be so exact for that to even be a possibility," Abby stated as she headed to the bathroom on the other side of MedBay.

******

As two pink lines appeared on the stick Abby had in her hand, she held her breath. There was no way this could be right. It had to be an evaporation line. It would go away here in a few seconds. Right?

Abby held the test in her hand and closed her eyes. She counted to ten and then opened them. Both of the lines were still there, and darker than they had been before. There was no way. Abby felt like her heart was going to explode. There was no way in hell she could be pregnant. Not at her age. Not with her implant.

Abby counted the years in her head. Her implant must have expired shortly after they got to the ground. In her defense, she'd been thinking about other things this whole time. She had been under a lot of stress. An unplanned pregnancy was the least of her worries. 

Yes, she had been having unprotected sex with Marcus this whole time. But, she had figured that there was so much going on that she shouldn't even have had to worry about a baby. Besides, she already had Clarke. She had pushed the idea of a second baby from her mind years ago.

There was a knock on the door.

"Abby? You ok in there?" It was Jackson. "What does the test say?"

"Bring me another one. This one didn't work," she told him, still unable to believe the results.

"Let me see it," Jackson said.

"No, just- just bring me another one, ok?"

Jackson did as he was told and passed the test to her by sliding it under the door.

Abby waited a few minutes, saying a silent prayer to whatever god was out there that the first test had indeed been wrong. She dipped the second test into the cup filled with her urine.

She waited. She refused to look at the test until Jackson and Nylah were knocking on the door again.

"Abby? Abby, tell us what it says." It was Nylah this time. She wasn't asking but trying to get an answer through force.

The steadiness in her voice brought Abby back to reality and she looked at the test sitting on the counter. The result was the same.

Abby felt the nausea rising in her throat again. She wretched in the toilet, aware that they could hear her on the other side of the door. When she was done, she heard Jackson knock again:

"Slide the tests under the door, Abby. Let me see them," he said.

Abby did as she was told and slide both positive tests under the door to Jackson and Nylah.

They looked at them without a word. Jackson picked them up off the floor as Nylah opened the bathroom door. Abby was sitting on the door with her head in her hands. She was crying. She wasn't sure whether the tears were joy, fear, or anxiety. 

What was she going to do? How had this happened? Well, she knew how this happened and she knew it was her own fault. Not just her fault. She knew that. She knew the answers to those questions. What she didn't know was how Octavia was going to react. She didn't know how to tell Marcus. Hell, she didn't even know if she was going to be allowed to keep the baby. What would Octavia say? Then, Abby spoke:

"Do you think Octavia will let me keep the baby?"

"I think that there's a pretty good chance of that. After all, she was a second-born," Jackson said.

"Besides, Abby, who doesn't love a new baby?" Nylah chimed in.

"Maybe, she'll even let you eat more!" Jackson said, trying to be helpful.

"How do I tell Marcus? What if he doesn't want the baby?" Abby said, her head still in her hands, the tears still flowing freely.

"I'm sure he would love to have a baby with you. He cares more about you than you think," Jackson said.

"I know he does, but what will he think of having a baby? He never had kids," Abby stated.

"Not until now," Nylah said, smirking. "Let's get you a cup of tea to settle your stomach. Then, we can get back to work and you can come up with a way to tell Kane that won't give him a heart attack, ok?"

"Sounds like a deal," Abby smiled. "But, if he has a heart attack, you two better save him."

Jackson, Nylah, and Abby laughed as they made their way out of the bathroom. Jackson hid the tests in a drawer he knew no one would go in and he locked it, giving the key to Abby. He knew she would need to get into it later.

"Do you want to run some test on the baby, or do you want to wait until Marcus can see, too?" Jackson asked Abby.

"Wait until Marcus can see, too," Abby answered. 

She still had a smile on her face at the end of the day when Marcus walked into their room. It was infectious and he caught it within seconds. He wasn't sure why she smiling at him the way she was, but he liked it.

"Hey there," he said.

"Hello, handsome," Abby responded, giving him a kiss he was sure he would remember for the rest of his life.

"What's going on?" He asked, puzzled. She was hiding something and he wanted to know what it was.

"I've got something to tell you," she still couldn't stop smiling.


	6. Pregnant

Marcus isn't sure what to say. He never thought this would happen. He never thought Abby would be saying these words to him. He was in shock. At least, that's how he looked to Abby.

His brain had seemed to stop working, but his body had not. Almost as soon as the words had come out of her mouth, Marcus had pulled Abby to him. He had no intention of letting her go any time soon.

"Marcus, I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father," Abby had told him. "We're having a baby."

The words bounced around in his head, trying to make a coherent thought, as he traced random circles on her back with his hands. Abby. Pregnant. Father. Baby. His baby. Her baby. Their baby.

The closer he got to understanding what she had told him, the closer he got to crying. He wasn't big on tears, but this was Abby. His Abby. The mother of his child. 

Abby pulled away from him, taking one of his hands and placing it on her belly. That's when the tears started flowing. Not just for Marcus, but for Abby, too. They stood in silence, letting tears drip down their faces, their foreheads pressed together.

They had been through so much together and now they were going to be bonded for the rest of their lives by a child they had made. A child that came from the pure, strong love their shared.

They stood like this together until the lights shut off on them. It was curfew. 

Abby removed herself from Marcus's embrace, moving to turn on a camping light, but Marcus stopped her.

"We should lie down," he said.

"Are you tired?" Abby asked him.

"Not anymore, but I'm willing to bet you are," he answered her.

"I'm a little tired, yes. But, we should talk about this."

"What about it?"

"What are we going to do, Marcus?"

"Well, have a baby. We're having a baby, Abby. Oh my god, we're having a baby," Marcus spoke quickly. He sat down on the bed, his face in his hands.

Abby walked over to him in the dark room. They couldn't see anything, but they were so familiar with the room that it didn't matter. She knew where he was and he could hear her walking closer to him. He reached out for her, his face level with her still-flat stomach.

He gently slid her shirt up, revealing her stomach to his kisses. Abby smiled even though she knew he wouldn't see it. It was a smile to herself. A smile filled with the joy of finding out she was pregnant. But, mostly a smile at the reaction Marcus was having.

She had thought Marcus would be terrified, but she was wrong. He was shocked, she knew, but in a good way. He was loving, tender, happy. She never would have guessed that this would be his reaction. 

Marcus continued kissing her belly as he whispered: "I think I just fell in love with you all over again, Abby." Her tears started back up again as she ran her fingers through his hair.

******

The morning is hectic, as usual. Abby throws up her breakfast, the same way she did the day before. Marcus knows he should feel bad for her, but it takes everything in him to keep the smile at bay. He didn't want everyone to know what was going on yet. He and Abby hadn't even discussed that part. Actually, they hadn't done much talking at all the night before. Mostly, they just held each other, whispering their love and kissing. He had held her close as she fell asleep in his arms, a smile plastered to his face.

When she was done, he walked her to medical. He knew he would probably be late again, but he didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to think about anything other than Abby and the baby in her belly. He was completely beside himself and smitten all at once.

They made it to MedBay, hand in hand, and smiled as Nylah looked up from her desk. She was still working with the herbs when they entered.

"I take it he knows," she said, smiling almost as much as they were. "He must have taken the news well, judging by the look on his face."

"He did," Abby responded. "I think now would be a good time to run those tests, Jackson."

Jackson smiled from across the room where he had been watching the exchange. He hadn't seen Abby or Marcus this happy in a long time. In fact, he doubted he had ever seen Marcus happy like he was now. He warmed his heart. "Right this way," he told Abby, leading them to the back of MedBay. He had already set up the ultrasound machine.

"Nylah, are you coming," Abby asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she answered. "Sky medicine is so different from our ways. What does this do?" She pointed to the ultrasound machine.

"It lets you see the baby. It's how we measure to tell whether or not the baby is growing right," Abby told her.

"Will it look the same as when it is born?" Nylah asked.

"Almost," Abby told her with a chuckle.

Abby laid down on the cot and pulled her shirt up to just below her breasts while Jackson got the machine ready. Jackson placed the jelly low on Abby's stomach and pressed the wand against it, looking for the baby.

When he found it, he pressed a couple buttons on the ultrasound machine and suddenly they heard a fast, rhythmic beating.

"That's the baby's heartbeat," Abby announced with a smile. Marcus, intent on the screen, didn't realize he had taken Abby's hand. He stared at the screen, looking at the tiny baby they had made.

"It's so little, Abby. Is that normal?" He asked.

"Yep. The baby will be little for a long time, but that's ok. It looks like everything is fine," she told him, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"I'd say about five weeks. What do you think, Abby?" Jackson asked, turning his attention to Abby's face.

Still looking at the screen, Abby agreed.

"Five weeks and absolutely perfect," Nylah stated from the end of the bed. It was the first time she had said something since they started the procedure.

"You should print some pictures for the files, Jackson," Abby told him.

"And some for you, too, right?" He asked her with a chuckle.

"Of course," Abby laughed.

"We get a picture?" Marcus asked.

"Of course you get a picture. It's your baby after all," Jackson joked. It was funny to see Marcus get excited about things. It was already obvious that this baby was going to be his whole world and Jackson couldn't have wished for a better life for Abby in this bunker.

Jackson measured a few more things and printed photos for Abby's file before printing a full-body shot for Marcus. He handed it directly to Marcus, who smiled and took it with his free hand. Jackson took the wand off of Abby and cleaned it, placing back on the side of the ultrasound machine.

Abby wiped her stomach clean and Marcus helped her to sit up. Abby could already tell how protective Marcus was going to be over her and this baby. Not that he wasn't already protective.

Nylah follows Jackson out to the rest of MedBay as he moved to put the machine away, while Marcus an Abby begin to talk.

"Five weeks? So we made this baby five weeks ago?" Marcus asks.

"Yep, which means..." Abby trails off.

"The first time after you got clean," Marcus says, his eyes tearing up again.

"Precisely," Abby smiles, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "Now for the hard part."

"Which is?"

"Talking to Octavia," Abby tells him.

******

Abby and Marcus make their way to the office to talk to Octavia. They both know very well that she could tell them there isn't enough space in the bunker for a baby. And, it would be true: the bunker was too full. But, they had hope that Octavia being a second-born bettered their chances of being allowed to keep the baby.

When they arrived, Indra was already there, talking to Octavia. Indra let them in.

"Kane, good timing. We need to talk about the guard shifts on level two. Someone fell asleep during their shift last night. I guess there was no one to relieve them. They said it was supposed to be you," Indra tells him.

"Uh, yeah. About that," Marcus starts.

"It was my fault," Abby says. "There's something we need to talk to you about. And, it relates to why Marcus forgot he had a shift last night."

"What could be so important that you forgot to do your job, Kane?" This time is was Octavia.

"I'm pregnant," Abby states.

"What?" Indra asks.

"I said, I'm pregna-" Abby begins.

"No, I heard you. How is that possible?" Indra looks shocked.

"It's highly unlikely at my age, yes. But, it happened nonetheless," Abby confirms.

"So, you're going to finally be a dad, Kane. Congratulations," Octavia speaks up.

"Does that mean you're going to let us keep the baby?" Marcus asks.

"Of course. Just don't forget your shifts anymore," Octavia tells him.

"How will the baby survive if you're only eating half of what you should be, Abby?" Indra turns her attention to an elated Abby.

"I-" Abby gets ready to say something.

"She won't be on half rations. We can afford to let one person eat enough to have a healthy pregnancy, Indra," Octavia says. She's not making a suggestion, they realize, but a rule. Abby would be eating enough to keep herself and the baby alive and no one would be able to stop her. Abby felt herself smiling yet again.

"How do we tell the rest of the bunker without them thinking it's ok for everyone to start having babies?" Indra asks.

"Leave that to me," Octavia affirms.


	7. Double Rations

Marcus quickly became obsessed with Abby's belly after the ultrasound the day before. She couldn't blame him. Jake has been smitten, too, after he'd seen Clarke for the first time. It seemed that Marcus had his hands on her belly every chance he got. It was sweet, really. It was kind of like they had started all over. Kind of like they were back to the tender 'puppy love' that every new relationship starts with.

Abby thought about Marcus and his love for their baby as she got in line in the Mess Hall behind Octavia. She held out her tray and nearly walked away when Octavia and Indra stopped her.

"Give her more," Indra said to the cook.

"But, ma'am," he started to say.

"You heard her. Dr. Griffin is on double rations until further notice," Octavia said.

The cook added another portion to Abby's tray, slightly confused.

"Anyone else?" He asked, looking a little frustrated.

"Watch what you say," Indra warned.

"Only if I say so, or if Dr. Griffin tells you," Octavia said. She turned to the rest of the room. "Dr. Griffin will be on double rations and if anyone has a problem with it, speak now or forever hold your peace," she told the room.

No one stood or said anything. They were too afraid of being sent to the fighting pit, even though she had just given them permission to say something.

Abby was uncomfortable with the whole situation. She didn't think Octavia would have made this big of deal out of it, much less announce it to a whole room of people. Abby could see the looks on some of their faces and wasn't sure she liked the it. Even though no one said anything, Abby would have felt better to have Marcus by her side right now. Octavia was feared and respected, but she wasn't like Marcus. If Marcus had been the one to say something, it would have been more eloquent and would have had a better impact on the crowd.

It was what it was, though, and Abby couldn't change it. So, she sat in her spot beside Octavia and ate. She kept her head down, so she didn't notice when Marcus took his seat beside her until he touched her back with his hand.

"Is everything ok?" He asked her.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine," she said, still not looking up from her tray.

"Then why is everyone staring at you?"

"Because Octavia told them I was getting double rations... very loudly."

"It was that or you eat the same amount as everyone else and the baby doesn't get enough food," he told her, looking at Octavia over her shoulder.

"Maybe you should say something to them, Kane," Indra said from across the table.

"I think they'll take the news better from you than from me, anyway," Octavia mentioned in an off-hand manner.

Marcus smiled at Abby and asked: "Are you ready for them to know?"

"Now's as good a time as any, I suppose," she responded.

Marcus stood and the room watched him, quieting down quickly.

"Abby and I have an announcement to make, and it concerns the double rations," Marcus said. "We are, very unexpectedly, awaiting the birth of our future child. Octavia and Abby have agreed that double rations is the only way to ensure the baby will be healthy. I'm sorry if it seems unfair to you, but please try to understand. Without enough nutrients, the baby won't survive."

The crowd had lightened up, for the most part, smiles spreading on some of the faces which had previously been eyeing Abby with disdain. But, there were still some people who weren't happy about the situation.

"How do you know for sure she's even really pregnant," one man shouted.

"Yeah, she could just be saying that for more food," a woman said.

"It was confirmed by both Dr. Jackson and Nylah kom Trikru this morning. I saw the baby myself," Marcus said, still smiling. "If you would like to see for yourself, I'm sure it can be arranged."

It was a bluff. Marcus knew it made Abby uncomfortable, but making it seem like the people had a choice made it easier to convince them of the gravity of the situation. He knew not everyone would believe it until Abby started showing, but he needed to convince as many of them as possible and quickly to ensure the safety of his little family.

When there was nothing more to be said by the crowd, Marcus sat down and took Abby's hand.

"I don't know how you do it, Marcus, but people listen to you," Abby told him.

"I'm just lucky," he told her. "Now, eat. The baby needs to grow." Marcus put his hand on her flat stomach and kissed her temple. He began to eat his small portion when someone walked up to their table. It wasn't often that someone came up to them while they ate. It was an unspoken rule that their leaders ate in peace and were not to be disturbed until they left the table.

"Excuse me, Dr. Griffin," the woman said.

"Yes?" Abby questioned as she looked up from her tray, her face red.

"My daughter would like to... er- ask about the baby," it was the other woman's turn to be red in the face.

"What do you want to know?" Abby asked the young girl. She looked about nine.

"How long will it be until the baby is born?" The child asked.

"About 35 more weeks, so a little less than nine months," Abby told her.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"We don't know yet, sweetheart," Abby smiled. She had gone into doctor mode.

"When you know, will you tell everyone?"

"Of course we will," it was Marcus's turn to chime in.

"I can't wait!" The little girl nearly jumped while she said this.

"Thank you for your time, Dr. Griffin," the girl's mother said.

Abby smiled at Marcus as the woman and her daughter returned to their seats.

Maybe things were going to be alright after all.

******

Abby was grateful for the little speech Marcus had given at lunch. Instead of being stared at as she walked down the hall towards MedBay after lunch, she recieved many congratulations and even a couple of hugs.

She was a couple of feet from MedBay when her data pad went off. She stopped and leaned against the door and read the message from Indra. It turned out there was a ritual the Gounders had when a woman found out she was pregnant that she wanted Abby to consider. Abby decided she would talk to Marcus about it later and see if he knew what it was. He was Marcus, of course he would know, Abby thought to herself.

Abby went to put turn the data pad off when it was knocked out of her hand. She was startled and looked up to see a group of men surrounding her. None of them were Grounders, but she wasn't surprised. The Gounders had to no reason to lie about pregnancy, so naturally, they didn't think she was faking it. Skaikru, however, had been through faked pregnancies in an attempt to get extra rations before.

Abby knew she should be more worried than she was, but she was so close to MedBay that she didn't honestly think anything would happen to her. That is, until a fist connected with her face.

Abby, being so small, was knocked down by the impact. She felt the blood coming from her mouth. She knew if they really wanted to hurt her, they would have hit her harder. She was smart, though, and didn't try to stand back up. She covered her stomach with her arms and got to her knees. She didn't try to say anything.

"Next time you feel like you deserve more food than my son, it'll be worse, Griffin," the man who had punched her said.

"You don't deserve anything more than what the rest of us get," a woman said.

Another man aimed a kick towards Abby's covered belly. 

Before the man could kick her, though, a small knife embedded itself into his leg. It had come from behind Abby. She turned to look and saw Nylah behind her.

Never had Abby been so grateful for the woman than she was in that moment.

Nylah had started yelling for Octavia. Nylah was giving chase to the men and women who were now running away down the hall past MedBay. They were stopped, however, by a group of Gounders at the end of the hall. Warriors, Abby noticed as Indra pulled her from the floor gingerly.

"Are you ok, Abby?" Indra asked her.

"I'm fine," Abby said, wiping the blood from her lip.

"Let's get you into MedBay and have Dr. Jackson look at you. Just in case. I'll send for Marcus," Indra informed her.

Octavia stood behind her, hand on her sword handle. "They will be pay for this, Abby. Don't worry. No one will ever try to hurt you or the baby again. I promise."

******

Abby was sitting on an exam table in MedBay when Marcus came in. He was out of breath. He looked like he'd been running. He scanned the room. His eyes landed on Abby, holding a cold compress to her busted lip, and he ran to her.

He wrapped his arms around her immediately. He placed one hand on the side of her face and the other on her stomach after a strong hug.

"I'm ok, Marcus. The baby is ok," she told him immediately. "It's just a scratch, ok?"

"Who did this?" He asked.

"It was just some people who didn't think I was actually pregnant," Abby told him.

"That's not true, Abby," Octavia said, walking in the door. She must have been the one to go get Marcus. "They admitted to Indra that they believed you were pregnant. They just didn't think it was fair that you got more food than them."

"That's why he was going to kick me, wasn't it?" Abby asked.

Marcus turned to look at Octavia. "They were going to kick her?"

"According to Nylah, they were aiming for her stomach. She got there just in time to stop them," Octavia informed him.

"I want them dead," Marcus said. He had a look in his eyes, a darkness Abby hadn't seen in a long time.

"No, Marcus. They're just hungry. It's not their fault," Abby pleaded. "Octavia, please. Don't send them to the fighting pit for this. It was a mistake."

"It was attempted murder, Abby. They intended to kill your child and you want them to go free?" Octavia was slightly confused by Abby's words. Yes, her humanity was her greatest strength, but she would have to be stronger to protect her unborn child.

"They weren't going to do anything. They were just trying to scare me," Abby said.

"And the one with a loaded gun pointed at you? He was just trying to scare you, too?" Jackson asked.

"If I hadn't thrown that knife, you wouldn't even have that baby anymore, Abby," Nylah said. "They intended to kill your baby. We have strict policies for this kind of thing. Jus drein jus daun."

"No! No, you can't kill them. They have children. It would make us just as bad as them," Abby said.

"It's a good thing you don't get a say, then," Octavia said. "I'm not sending them to the pit, Abby. They will be executed for their crimes. Capital punishment."

"At least hold it to a vote, please," Abby begged. She didn't want them to die because they were hungry and felt something was unfair.

******

"For the capital crimes of assault and attempted murder, I believe these enemies of Wonkru should be put to death," Indra stated. "But, at the request of the victim, this is being put to a vote by the ambassadors."

Each of the ambassadors verbally agreed that an execution was the best way to handle the situation. 

Marcus had not said anything the entire time the vote was being taken.

"Ambassador Kane, what say you?" Octavia asked, causing Marcus to look away from the perpetrators. "This was a crime commented by your people, against your family. What is your vote?"

For the first time since the Ark, Marcus didn't have to think about following the law.

"Blood must have blood," he said.


	8. Consequences

The morning after everything happened, Marcus and Octavia decided they needed to address Skaikru. They wait until a large enough number of their people are either sitting or walking into the Mess Hall before they decide to start. Octavia stands.

"Something needs to be said about what happened yesterday afternoon. I know that, by now, most of you are aware that Dr. Griffin was assaulted. The men and women who attacked her have been sentenced to death," Octavia says.

Abby becomes angry. She knows there was a vote, but Marcus refused to tell her what the outcome was. Now, she thinks, I know why. Beside her, Marcus stands. Octavia gives him a nod and sits.

"Assault is now a capital crime because of what happened. The intent of the perpetrators was the kill my unborn child over food. That kind of behavior will not be tolerated. You used to say that Gournders were savages, but I cannot think of a more disgusting crime than harming an unborn child and expecting mother. Crimes were committed against my family," Marcus started. "If you have a problem with something, you come to us and you say so. You don't attack your own people. Use common sense. We said yesterday and will say again, if you don't believe us, we will give you proof. Today, there will be no fighting. Only death. Unhonorable death. For those who seek to harm the innocent are not worthy of a warrior's death. They are cowards. No one hurts my family."

Marcus sat, still angry and vigilant. He had not let Abby out of his sight since the incident yesterday, his hand every present on her lower back or belly. He was angry, Abby could tell. But, now she was, too. She thought the days of Ark Kane were gone. She was wrong.

She was livid that he had voted to kill the men and women from yesterday. Honestly, though, she wasn't surprised. Ark Kane was still a part of who he was. She thought it would take more than a busted lip to bring him out again.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence after Marcus's speech. Abby quickly ate and left for MedBay to start working, needing something to distract her from her anger. She knew she had no right to be angry, but she kept thinking that if she had a say, those people wouldn't be heading to their death right now.

She knew she could go and try to talk Octavia out of it, but she also knew there was no use. She knew that there was nothing she could do and that made her even more angry.

Abby was lost in her thoughts while she headed to work. So lost, in fact, that she hadn't noticed Marcus following her until she was already there.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked him.

"No, I'm just here to keep an eye on you," Marcus told her.

"I don't need to be watched. Everything is fine. The people that were a danger have been sentenced to death," she said, venom in her voice.

"I'm aware. I sent them there."

"I know you did. Go away and we can talk about this later."

"I'm not going anywhere until that baby is born," he said coolly.

"Don't you have some work to do or something?" She asked, trying very hard not to lose her temper at him in front of Jackson and Nylah.

"Nope. My guard shifts are covered. I'm staying here with you."

"Then shut up and stay out of my way," Abby spat.

******

Abby had almost lost her temper so many times during the day that, by the time they made it back to their quarters, she was ready to explode.

"Don't you have anything better to do with your time?" She nearly yelled at Marcus as he closed the door behind him.

"I'm doing what I need to do to make sure you're safe, Abby." His voice was soft.

"So, standing over my shoulder all day is doing what you're supposed to do now, huh?"

Marcus just looked at her. He knew she wasn't happy about the decision and she didn't understand his fears.

"Abby, look. Look at me," he put his hands on her shoulders. "I've never done this before and as soon as people found out about the baby, they tried to hurt you. You have to understand why I'm being overprotective. You have to know that I would do anything for the two of you, ok? I just want you two to be safe."

"You can watch out for us without breathing down my neck all day," she said, looking into his eyes. What he was saying made sense, she just didn't want to see him turn back into the man he was before he became her Marcus. "So, post a guard in MedBay. I'm sure you can spare someone," she said.

"I did, and that guard is me," he told her.

"Someone else, then," she said.

"No, I want it to be me."

"What about meetings with Octavia? You know you'll have to leave for those right?"

"I know, and when I have to, Miller will take my place. We already agreed to it."

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

"Until I feel like you're safe without me. Or the baby is born. Whichever comes first," he smiled as he said.

"Dear god, Marcus. I'm going to have to give you so many shots if you're in MedBay every single day," she didn't smile. She was trying to scare him.

"Then, I'm going to have to get a lot of shots. Whatever it takes," he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Whatever it takes, Abby. I'll do it all. I'd give anything for you and this baby."

Abby let her head rest against his chest, feeling tears beginning to fall.

"At least I won't have to give you stitches," she laughed, placing a hand over his heart where she had stitched him up so recently.


	9. Surgery

Marcus follows Abby to MedBay the next morning. She's still not happy with the situation, but decided to accept it. There was no way she was getting around it anyway. Once Marcus made a decision, it was done. He could be almost as stubborn as she was. The thought made her smile.

Abby was doing inventory when she came to the med locker. She handed the clipboard to Jackson withouth ceremony and turned to go back to her desk. She had planned on cleaning it up when she was finished. But, Jackson placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

He handed her back the clipboard and reached in his pocket to pull out the key. Abby assumed he was going to unlock. After all, what was she going to do with Marcus standing at the other end of the room? But, he handed her the key instead of just unlocking the door.

Abby looked at him and then they key. She was confused. She looked back at the key in her hand and closed her first around it.

"You don't have to do this, Jackson," she told him.

"I know I don't have to, but Nylah, Marcus, and I talked about this yesterday. We agreed that you can be trusted with it," he told her with a smile. "Just make sure you lock it again afterward. Octavia wants almost everything in MedBay locked up now."

"Does she now?" Abby asked as she started the inventory.

"Yeah. She said only it's only a matter of time until someone tries to steal something from us."

"You know what comes next, right?" Abby asked Jackson.

"Rationing," he affirmed. "Luckily for us, we have medicinal crops in the hydro-farm and they're growing well. Besides, we have Nylah over there who knows how to make a little go a long way."

"She really does. And we have you, the secret chemist," Abby said.

Jackson laughed and went on his way to continue the work of cleaning the surgical instruments. It was what he did every morning. MedBay was the only place where water use was not regulated. They used a lot of it for sure, but no more than they needed to keep things clean.

Abby made it through taking inventory without so much as thinking about taking the pills for herself. She felt proud. As she locked the medicine cabinet up, she pocketed the key and turned towards Marcus. He smiled at her from across the room, his arms crossed over his chest. She knew he was as proud of her and as was of herself. They were finally past the time when he would need to worry about her. She was glad.

She crossed the room to her desk and began entering the numbers into her datapad where they would be immediately available to Octavia. She wasn't sure the girl would understand what the meds were and what they did, but Octavia would know if the numbers were right. She would know if anything went missing. Abby thought about this as she finished her work and stood.

A message popped up on the data pad just as she went to set it down. It was a message from Octavia. That was fast, Abby thought. She was surprised when she realized it wasn't related to inventory. In fact, it wasn't a message Abby thought she would ever get. She wasn't surprised, though, to read that Octavia was asking her to teach a Sex Ed class to the children and teenagers of the bunker. Abby laughed quietly to herself.

"What's going on over there, Dr Griffin?" It was Marcus.

"Octavia wants me to teach Sex Ed," Abby told him, an amused smile on her face.

"Ah, the great doctor, teaching," he was amused now, too.

"Oh boy, that should be interesting," Jackson chimed in.

"You say that like I'm not going to be able to do it," Abby aimed the comment at Jackson.

"Well, considering you're probably going to be dealing with kids who do nothing but joke around, I think-" Jackson started.

"It'll be fine," Abby told him.

Marcus watched the exchange with amusement. He wondered why Jackson thought Abby was going to have issues. He was about to ask when a young child walked in with a guard.

"Dr. Griffin, we are going to need you," the guard said firmly.

Abby got up from behind the desk, looking at the young boy. He was holding his stomach and looking quite ill.

"What's going on here, little man?" She asked the child.

The boy told her that the right side of his stomach had been hurting all day, but no one believed him. Abby pulled his shirt up and pressed her hand gently to the lower right side of his stomach.

"Looks like we're going to have to run a couple of tests here, mister. But, I'm thinking you're going to need your appendix out. You ok with that?" Abby asked the little boy. Jackson and Nylah had found their way over to him.

The boy looked frightened but nodded at Abby.

"Will I be better?" He asked Abby.

"You'll be a million times better. Just like it never even happened at all," she told the boy.

"Dr. Jackson is going to get you comfortable and draw some blood, ok? Nylah will be with you the whole time." Abby told him, leading him over to an exam table and pulling the curtain.

"What about you, Dr. Griffin?"

"You can call me Abby. I'll be the one to take your appendix out, ok?" She assured the boy.

"Will I be awake?" He asked.

"Nope, you'll be asleep. I promise," she told him.

Jackson and Nylah came behind the curtain and started their work, using the same gentle tones as Abby had.

Abby left and began to set up the equipment she was going to need, knowing she would be doing surgery in just a few minutes.

"What's going on, Abby?" Marcus asked quietly.

"You get to watch me remove a useless organ today," she informed him, matching his low tones. They didn't want the young boy to hear them and get frightened.

"How do you know that he needs the surgery just by touching him?" 

"His stomach is distended and tight."

"Then what are the tests for if you already know?" Marcus was confused.

"Because we need to make sure his appendix hasn't burst. He could go septic if he doesn't have it out beforehand. That's why he's having his blood drawn. Jackson will give me the results before I remove it so I know what to watch out for," Abby had gone completely into doctor mode. Marcus found it both attractive and endearing at the same time.

Jackson pulled the curtain aside and walked over to Abby with the vial of blood in his hand.

"He's a brave little guy, Abby. But, I don't think it has burst yet," Jackson told her.

"I don't think so either, but better safe than sorry," Abby responded as Jackson began running tests on the blood.

"How will you know if he's septic?" Marcus asked.

"There will be bacteria in the blood," Jackson told him. "Nylah is giving him the anesthesia right now, Abby. He should be ready for you in just a few minutes."

"Good timing," Abby said as she placed instruments on the tray and walked to the sink to wash her hands. She spent what seemed like forever there before drying her hands and putting on a pair of latex gloves that had been set out by Jackson when the boy walked in.

"There's nothing in the blood, Abby. You're good to go," Jackson said, getting up from his seated position and walking to the tray. He began pushing the tray from its spot towards the boy's curtained-off area.

"Can- can I watch?" Marcus asked, unsure of himself. 

"I don't see why not," Abby told him over her shoulder. "You're going to have to not barf, though."

"That's your job, sweetheart," he laughed and followed them to the now unconscious boy.

Marcus watched as Abby opened up the boy, removed his appendix, and stitched him back up like this surgery was something she did every day. He was amazed at how calm everyone was. He had never seen the behind-the-scenes work doctors did. What really amazed him, though, was the conversation they were having. Abby, digging inside another human-being, was talking about wanting to eat lunch.

After they had finished, Abby retrieved her datapad from her desk and responded to Octavia. Marcus, who had completely forgotten, was amazed that Abby had remembered.

"You're amazing, Abby," he told her.

"Huh?" She asked him.

"I said, 'you're amazing'."

"What are you talking about?"

"How you do that. How you do surgery like-"

"Like it's my job?" She jokingly asked him.

"Well, yeah. But, you didn't even need help. And you remembered that message, too. It's like being interrupted didn't even phase you," Marcus said in amazement.

"I wasn't interrupted. My schedule just didn't go as planned," she replied.

"I have to ask, though: why didn't you just have Jackson do it, if it's so easy for you?"

"It's not his job, Marcus. He's a doctor, yes, but he's not a surgeon. Not yet, anyway." Abby gave Jackson a pointed look.

"Nope. Not going to happen. I don't want to cut people open," Jackson said, not even looking towards Abby.

"See? Do you see my problem? He's stubborn. He could be amazing, but no. He won't do it. He'll assist, but he won't do surgery by himself," Abby told Marcus with mock anger.

"I thought all doctors did surgery," Marcus said, slightly confused. 

"Nope, just a few of us."

Nylah chimed in from across the room, "Just you, Abby. There are no other healers who do surgery."

"You're the only surgeon in the world, Abby," Jackson said.

"Wait, what?" Marcus asked.

"She's not just a doctor. She is the only living surgeon in the world," Jackson said. "She's more than a doctor. She's a specialized doctor. The only one of her kind left."

"And now I'm going to have to teach a Sex Ed class on top of that," Abby joked.

"Is that too much for you? You can say no, Abby," Marcus told her.

"It's Octavia. I can't say no. Besides, I don't have to do surgery every day. It's not as common as you would think," Abby told Marcus. She started to leave MedBay.

"Where are you going?" Marcus asked, following her quickly.

"To teach. Keep up, old man," She said over her shoulder.

"What? Right now? Seriously?"

"Yep!" This time she was smiling.


	10. Three Months

Abby had been teaching her Sex Ed class all morning. As it turned out, some of the adult Grounders wanted to take the class, too. So, what should have lasted a few weeks now had no end in sight. She wasn't mad, though. As little as she liked dealing with people, she was proud to be able to pass on some of her knowledge. She was proud that so many people were showing an interest in learning something new. It gave her hope every time someone new showed up.

Today was different, though. Abby and Marcus had their second ultrasound after lunch. Usually, Abby would have had it planned for the morning, but that's when the class was scheduled. So, afternoon it was. She wasn't particularly happy about having to wait. She was impatient and she knew it. So was Marcus. When she gave him an exacerbated look half an hour before lunch, she knew he took the hint because he chuckled from his position.

It wasn't just having to wait that was bothering her, though. It's that Marcus, ever present, was standing by the door at the back of the room. Every time Abby looked at him, her mind strayed from the class she was teaching and towards the ultrasound. She wondered if watching her was having the same effect on him. She already knew he was as excited as she was. He had hardly stopped talking about it for the last three day. But, she hoped he was having as much of a hard time as she was. It wouldn't be fair if he wasn't suffering like her.

Abby watched the clock like a hawk, but it seemed like each minute passed more slowly than the one before it. She wasn't just excited anymore. She had become anxious. She knew the appointment was mostly to make sure the baby was growing right, but she wanted to see the baby, damn it. She wanted to look at the child nestled inside her.

Her belly had grown slightly. It wouldn't be very noticeable to the average person, but it seemed like the only thing Marcus could look at these days. He would roll her shirt up before bed and kiss the tiny swell gently. When he wrapped his arms around her from behind every morning, he would cradle her small bump in his hands. Abby and their child were the most precious things in the world to him. He was with her all day, every day and, though they had their fights, she was still his everything. Marcus had never had a love like this and he wouldn't trade it for the world. He was thinking about how much he loved Abby and their tiny baby when she turned around to look at him for what seemed like the millionth time. He couldn't help his smile.

He knew she was just as excited to see the baby as he was and he couldn't hide his delight. Watching the baby grow from the outside was exciting enough. But, getting to see what the baby looked like inside of her was a rare treat. Days like this, when they got an ultrasound, were rare. He knew Abby could do as many as she wanted to, but she followed her own rules. They were to only do ultrasounds when it was medically necessary. I wouldn't be fair to do otherwise and it would easily take up all their time if they let themselves go down that road.

After what felt like an eternity, Abby let the class know they were done for the day and joined Marcus by the door while everyone filed out.

"Let's get this over with," she told him.

"You mean lunch?" He couldn't help but smile.

"Yes. Let's get it over with so we can go see this baby," Abby put her hand on her stomach.

"You act like you aren't hungry," Marcus joked as he put his hand over hers.

"I am, but I'm also really excited and you're stalling," she said.

"You think I'm stalling?" He asked.

"You're doing it right now. Are you worried or something?"

"No, I just- no. Let's go," he said as he led her out of the room.

"What's going on Marcus?"

"Nothing is going on Miss Suspicious."

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

"I do. You've told me before. Come on, I'm hungry, too."

Marcus and Abby eat theirlunch quickly. Probably faster than they should have, but they were excited. And surprised when Abby didn't immediately lose her lunch. Her morning sickness had left for the most part, except when she ate too fast. They were lucky today, though, and they couldn't be more grateful.

During the ultrasound, Abby and Marcus looked at their baby in amazement. The baby was measuring perfectly and moving around just as they expected. While Abby knew what she was looking at, Marcus didn't have clue. He delighted in every little thing they showed or explained to him. The pride in his eyes wasn't something Abby or Jackson had ever seen before. It's almost as if the look he had had been reserved for this very moment. Abby looked forward to seeing how that look changed when he was holding their child for the first time.

"Next time, we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl. Are you two going to want to find out?" Jackson asked.

"I want to know. Do you, Marcus?" 

"Of course I want to know," Marcus answered.

"Then, I guess the two of you better start thinking about baby names," Jackson smiled at them as he started to put the ultrasound machine away.

After they are done with their work day, Marcus is called to a meeting with the delegates and Octavia. It takes longer than they would have liked as the fighting pits had been brought up again. But, eventually, Marcus makes it back to his and Abby's quarters. She hasn't fallen asleep yet and for that, he is grateful if not a little bothered.

"It's late, Abby. You should be resting," Marcus said as he closed the door behind himself.

"It's not that late, and I am resting. See? I'm sitting on the bed," she says, looking at him from over the rim of her father's old glasses. He still liked those.

"Yes, but sitting on the bed is just about the same thing as sitting in the chair. Besides, you're still working," he told her, sitting down in the aforementioned chair to take his boots off.

"If I had laid down, I would have fallen asleep and then this paperwork wouldn't have been done on time."

"It couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"Nope. Octavia wants it first thing in the morning."

"Well, when did she send it to you?"

"Last week when she sent you back from a meeting with it. You don't remember?" Abby asked him, giving him another look over her glasses.

"That's those papers? I thought you had those done by now, honestly."

"That would have required me to be able to sit down long enough to get them done. And, to be truthful, it seems like I fall asleep every time I take a break these days," she said, yawning into her first. It wasn't intentional, but it made her point all the more obvious.

Marcus rubbed a hand up and down her back while she finished the paperwork. She put it back into the file and went to get up to put it on their small desk.

"Let me," Marcus said, taking the folder. He stood and placed it on the desk and then leaned back on it, taking in the sight of Abby in his tee-shirt and not much else.

"What?" She asked him.

"You're beautiful and I love you," he smiled as he said it.

"You're cheesy and I love you, too," she responded with a smile of her own. "Come here and laid down with us."

He loved when she referred to herself and the baby as 'us'. It only ever served to make him smile like an idiot. But, he was her idiot and he couldn't be happier if he tried. Actually, he thought, I would be even happier if Clarke were down here with us.

Marcus curled himself around Abby, one arm under his head and the other around her stomach.

"What do you want to name the baby, Abby?" He asked her.

"I don't know yet. I think we'll have to wait and see when the baby gets here," she told him, yawning again.

"Are we still going to find out the gender next time?"

"Of course we are, given that the baby cooperates."

"Well, if this baby is anything like its mother, then we might have a problem," Marcus joked.

"I know a few ways of working around stubborn babies. We'll get to find out. Seven weeks and counting," Abby said. "I love you, Marcus. G'night."

"Goodnight, beautiful," he responded, pressing a kiss into her hair.


	11. Cliff

Ch 11: Cliff

Today was finally the day. Marcus couldn't have been happier if he tried. He held Abby's hand like it was a lifeboat and he would drown without her. Honestly, he probably would. He had been crying an awful lot since she told him that her water had broken. It was early morning. So early that the lights in the hallways hadn't even come on yet. Marcus had wanted to carry her, but she refused, telling him that it would help the labor progress if she remained active for as long as possible.

He held her hand all the way to MedBay, three floors up. They took the stairs. Marcus was aware that Abby knew what she was doing, but he worried nonetheless. She just laughed and told him he was acting like every first-time father she had ever seen. 

When she leaned against the wall to make it through a contraction, Marcus looked like he was going to have a heart attack. She thought it might have been the cutest thing she'd ever seen him do. Well, aside from insisting that she be carried every time a contraction hit.

She had him help her count the seconds between each contraction as they walked, still holding hands. Eventually, they made it to MedBay. Nylah was there, taking an overnight shift with a couple of Grounder healers. Abby thought Marcus would be worried about Grounders delivering the baby, but she was wrong. 

"They've been delivering babies for as long as you have, Abby. I trust them," he told her. It was more for him than her and she knew it. After all, she had been working with these people on a regular basis, not him. Even though he had been watching her in MedBay most of her pregnancy anyway.

He had come to trust them a lot more ever since they had put her on bedrest a couple of weeks ago even though she hadn't been due for over a month. In fact, she still wasn't due for another three weeks, but the baby was ready to come now and there was nothing they could do but deliver it.

Abby had told Marcus, countless times since her water had broken, that Clarke had been early, too. It was not uncommon for smaller women to deliver their babies early. Nylah told him it was especially common for a second and third baby to be born around the same gestation as their older siblings. She also, to Abby's relief, told them that second and third labors tended to go father than the first one.

When Abby had Clarke, she had gone through seventeen hours of active labor. She had an epidural, so mostly she was just anxious about the arrival of her daughter. This time, there was no epidural to be had, though.

She was glad, however, when Nylah told her she was at eight centimeters and the baby would probably be here before the rest of the bunker woke up. She was glad they would have some quiet time to spend with their baby before MedBay started filling up with people, whom she would have to keep away from the baby. She wasn't glad to realize she was too far advanced in her labor to get an epidural this time around.

When the next contraction hit, she held on to Marcus's hand like he was her lifeline. He wouldn't have had it any other way, though. 

He was about to become a father and he couldn't believe it. It was finally happening.

******

It was the day of their third ultrasound and Marcus was elated. He and Abby had agreed to find out the gender of their baby and he couldn't wait. It was Abby's twentieth week of pregnancy and he felt they had waited long enough to know. They had talked about names and today would be the day they knew which one it was going to be.

After the initial measurements, Jackson asked if they were sure they wanted to know the gender. 

"Yes, please," Marcus had said.

"Alright. No going back," Jackson told them and moved the wand.

It took a few minutes as the baby wasn't cooperating.

"Looks like a little girl to me," he said to Abby. "What do you think?"

"If the baby would move we would know for sure. But, from what I can tell, it's a girl," Abby said.

"How sure are you?" Marcus asked.

"Um, probably about 75% sure, based on the way the baby is sitting," Abby answered.

"I agree. There's a small chance we could be wrong, but more likely than not, you can be ready for a pink blanket," Jackson directed the comment at Marcus. 

"Looks like we're going to have a little you running around, Abby. A little, tiny you!" Marcus didn't bother to hide his excitement.

"Well, half me. The other half is you," she smiled when she said it.

******

Marcus went through a mental checklist to make sure they had everything ready for the baby when they got back to their room. He knew Abby would want to be there as soon as possible after the baby arrived. He knew she would want the baby out of MedBay and all the colds that had been going around as soon as possible.

He went through his list, again and again, making sure he forgot nothing, as Abby powered through contraction after contraction.

They were closer together now and his worry turned into excitement again when Nylah told him Abby would be ready to push any minute.

"It's 'any minute' right now," Abby ground out through her teeth as another contraction waved through her.

"Are you sure?" Marcus asked, still holding her hand.

"I'm sure. Get ready to meet your daughter," she told him.

Nylah had Marcus get behind Abby and hold her behind the knees as Abby began pushing.

"Good, good, Abby. I can see the head. The baby is crowning. Lots of hair," Nylah said.

"Get. Her. Out. NOW!" Abby yelled the last part.

"Push again Abby. Your baby is almost here," Nylah told her.

Abby began to push as Marcus spoke softly in her ear: "Come on, sweetheart. You can do this. You're strong. You're so strong, Abby-"

"Oh god, get her out," Abby said through clenched teeth.

"Here comes the head, Abby," Nylah was very practiced at delivering babies for Trikru. She was their midwife, after all. "Oh, Abby, she's beautiful. Shoulders next and then you're home free, Mama!"

Abby pushed the baby's shoulders out and took a second to breathe, even though she felt like her body was being torn in half. She gave another good push, and the baby had been born.

"Good job, Abby. Good job, you have a beautiful baby boy!"

Marcus and Abby both looked at Nylah.

"A boy?" Marcus asked as Abby was still trying to catch her breath.

"Yes, Marcus. You are a father to a bouncing baby boy," Nylah told him, holding the baby up for him to see.

"Well, I'll be damned," Abby said.

"A boy... I have a son," Marcus was in shock just the same as he had been the day he found out Abby was pregnant.

"Yes, sir. And he's got your hair," Nylah joked. "What's his name, Mama?"

"Marcus Nathan Kane, Jr," Abby said, much to Marcus's surprise. They hadn't even discussed using his name if the baby had been a boy.

He let the tears fall down his face freely long after Abby and the baby had been cleaned up. He held his son and felt a love he had never felt before. It was pure and gentle and he knew as soon as he saw his son that he would do anything to protect him. Marcus was so proud of Abby and their son.

As Abby brought their son to her breast for his first meal, Marcus spoke without realizing he was going to do it:

"Abby, marry me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, guys. That's the end of this one. I couldn't stop once I started. Sequel, anyone?


End file.
